So, now you are elatedly engaged and have a great deal of things to do, but what should you do first? Usually, the best place to start planning a wedding is to setup an accurate, realistic, achievable budget that you can follow. Each wedding budget differs, but the basic ideas should be the same.

While the average wedding budget and cost does vary for many reasons, the national average for a wedding budget is approximately $28,000 for everything except for the engagement ring and honeymoon. The engagement ring and honeymoon are generally not included in any wedding budget.

A generalized sample wedding budget would include flowers and decorations, paper items (invitations, thank you cards, postage, etc), attire, gifts, reception food, venue costs, ceremony performer, wedding planner (if applicable), cakes, and other items. Typically, the floral arrangements and decorations cost 15-20% of the overall cost of the wedding. Invitations, thank you cards, place cards, menu cards, and postage tend to take up 5-10% of the wedding budget.

As far as attire, the bride and groom’s attire for the lovely wedding day (and departure clothing, if applicable) usually utilizes 5-10% of the overall wedding budget. Photography and videography are the most important parts of the wedding, in my opinion. I think that the pictures and videos that will last forever deserve the most cost; however, the average wedding budget only uses 10% of the funds for these services.

When people are in your wedding party or are big parts in your life or wedding day, often they are rewarded and thanked through gifts. Depending on the number of people you want to thank, this part can be between 2 and 5% of your wedding budget.

While you may not get a moment to enjoy it, the reception menu is another great way to thank you guests for sharing your glorious, lovely wedding day (or night) with you and your new spouse. You want your guests to enjoy great food. Often, this is the largest expense. Reception menus can range from 20-30% of the wedding budget, depending on the food and number of people you invite. The bride and groom’s cakes are another major factor at the reception; however, the prices of the cakes are usually included in the reception menu (especially if you use the same caterer to do both the menu and cakes).

The church and reception venues can be found very inexpensively. If you attend a church or are a member of a country club (or something similar), you can often get a great deal on these venues. On average, 5% of the budget will cover the costs of reserving and using the venues. The person performing the ceremony often is paid a small amount. This person sets his or her own price, which is usually between $50 and $500. This person may also opt for you to make a donation to an organization, charity, or church instead of receiving the money.

If you choose to hire a wedding planner, which is a magnificent idea (and I am glad I did it), cost is a big factor. Some wedding planners take a certain percentage of the overall wedding budget (usually 5-10% of the wedding budget) or a one-time fee. This fee can begin at $200 and go up to any amount. Another person who will have a great impact on your wedding day is the disc jockey or entertainment person or group. These people make or break the overall reception feeling through music and entertainment. The caterer, wedding planner, disc jockey, florist, and anyone else can also be tipped an extra amount if you feel like doing so.

If these amounts seem overbearing, I can definitely relate. You can cut costs in numerous ways. You can print your own invitations and have online RSVPs only, which would save you on printing and postage. To save money on the thank you gifts, you can make your own gifts or buy bulk or sale items. As you countdown the days until your wedding, you will see ways that you can cut costs to stay within your wedding budget.

Thank you to Constance N. Smith for this "Sample Wedding Budget" article.

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